It is no big secret that Digital Photography is an expensive "hobby". When I purchased my first SLR camera in 1991 it cost me $249.00 and it was a mid range Canon 630 EOS, a very nice camera.
Now, compare that with the fact that my first digital Canon 10D DSLR, purchased in August of 2003 cost 1499.00 That is HUGE gap.
The thing is, the cost difference does not end there! Remember, digital is new. That means that those first buying in are funding the research to improve the technology. So, the Canon 10D, which was 6megapixels and not the fastest camera in the world, especially at start up, was soon after replaced by the Canon 20d. Guess what?, I own one of those too. That was a purchase I made in February 2005.
You may have figured out that it was just about 18 months from my first digital DLSR to my second. Compare that to the fact that very trusty Canon EOS 630 was in solid use from 1991 up till I purchased my Canon 10D. That is 12 years of use.
My point?
Digital is expensive. And that is just the beginning.
The days of just dropping the film in a mailer and sending off to the lab and waiting a week for the prints is over. Now, those that really take it serious, hand process each picture and do some retouching to get a near perfect result image by image.
What does it take to do that?
Well to start, oodles of software. Photoshop, Lightroom, specialty plug-ins for Photoshop, printing software and finally, lots and lots of time.
All this adds to the cost of digital.
So, am I complaining. Absolutely not. The control over things has opened a door to creativity that even not very creative people can now explore.
Now if you made it this far, you may be wondering whats up with this entry? Basically it is to congratulate myself on the fact that I was able to wait 2 1/2 years before adding my newest camera to the mix, the Canon 5D.
I have yet to completely dive in the using this camera as I am VERY conservative with changing over as I really want to have a good feel for it before I use it for shots that I may not be able to take again, but all indications are that this will vastly improve the results of my photography.
It should, it is nearly 13 megapixels and is claimed to have the some of the best quality results of any camera in its class.
So why 3 cameras? It is simple. If you are going to shot an event, of any type, you can not just rely on one camera. That, coupled with the fact that having a wide angle lens on one and a telephoto on the other, is very very useful. No lost opportunities while switching lens.
Rest of the Gear
In addition to the cameras, here is some of the other gear I use and why.
The thing is, the cost difference does not end there! Remember, digital is new. That means that those first buying in are funding the research to improve the technology. So, the Canon 10D, which was 6megapixels and not the fastest camera in the world, especially at start up, was soon after replaced by the Canon 20d. Guess what?, I own one of those too. That was a purchase I made in February 2005.
You may have figured out that it was just about 18 months from my first digital DLSR to my second. Compare that to the fact that very trusty Canon EOS 630 was in solid use from 1991 up till I purchased my Canon 10D. That is 12 years of use.
My point?
Digital is expensive. And that is just the beginning.
The days of just dropping the film in a mailer and sending off to the lab and waiting a week for the prints is over. Now, those that really take it serious, hand process each picture and do some retouching to get a near perfect result image by image.
What does it take to do that?
Well to start, oodles of software. Photoshop, Lightroom, specialty plug-ins for Photoshop, printing software and finally, lots and lots of time.
All this adds to the cost of digital.
So, am I complaining. Absolutely not. The control over things has opened a door to creativity that even not very creative people can now explore.
Now if you made it this far, you may be wondering whats up with this entry? Basically it is to congratulate myself on the fact that I was able to wait 2 1/2 years before adding my newest camera to the mix, the Canon 5D.
I have yet to completely dive in the using this camera as I am VERY conservative with changing over as I really want to have a good feel for it before I use it for shots that I may not be able to take again, but all indications are that this will vastly improve the results of my photography.
It should, it is nearly 13 megapixels and is claimed to have the some of the best quality results of any camera in its class.
So why 3 cameras? It is simple. If you are going to shot an event, of any type, you can not just rely on one camera. That, coupled with the fact that having a wide angle lens on one and a telephoto on the other, is very very useful. No lost opportunities while switching lens.
Rest of the Gear
In addition to the cameras, here is some of the other gear I use and why.
- Canon 70-200mm L lens - used for most of my portraits.
- Canon 17-40mm L lens- A wide angle that I love to use for group shots as well as interior
- Canon 60mm Macro- no where near as expensive as the above lens, but it is my most "fun" lens. I have gotten some great insect, butterfly and flower shots. Highly recommended for anyone with a DSLR
- (4) Canon 550 flashes (with wireless)- This is used to set up remote flash firing so as to illuminate the entire venue.
- 13 Gigs of Compact Flash Cards-To store to shots
- A complete portable studio lighting set up with umbrellas and softbox. - I have not really used this with the exception of a couple of portrait shots. I prefer the use of natural light when possible with the aid of a reflector
No comments:
Post a Comment